Splendid MLB Opening Day in Japan
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Sinhue Mendoza, Contributor
- March 18, 2025
Dodgers, Cubs greeted enthusiastically in Japan
TOKYO – From the time I landed in the Land of the Rising Sun one thing was clear – Japan was ready to see the Dodgers and Cubs in the Tokyo Series 2025. Baseball fever has engulfed the city from Shibuya Scramble Square to Tokyo Dome City.
Everywhere you look there seems to be some semblance of Shohei Ohtani. I walked into a 7-Eleven, and there he was on the green tea bottles. He’s all over the front cover of the city’s many dailies.
As fans walked out of Shibuya Station on Sunday, they couldn’t miss Ohtani’s image all over the flashing skyscrapers. This morning when I was searching for a power adapter at Don Quijote, his cardboard card greeted me alongside Dodgers’ and Cubs’ blue.
The 50-50 icon and back-to-back MVP is everywhere in this crazed baseball nation. According to many of my chats with locals he is already bigger than the great Ichiro, who was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame this year.
There is no doubt the man they call “Showtime” in Los Angeles is the primary part of the fever. But we must consider it is a good time for Japanese ball players playing in “The Show.”
It’s the perfect ingredient for a Japanese celebration of baseball in one of biggest baseball cities in the world to open the 2025 season.
Historic Japanese pitching duel
History was made at the Tokyo Dome tonight when Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Shota Imanaga were the first Japanese pitching duo to take the hill for their MLB teams in Japan. Starting in right field for the Cubs was the popular Seiya Suzuki.
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It was impressive to watch the Japanese media contingent wait for their countrymen outside both dugouts to catch a glimpse and if fortunate get some time with their big leaguers.
The pregame excitement and hype felt like a playoff game with all the cameras and phones. The energy was reminiscent of the days of the ‘90s Chicago Bulls.
It was clear the crowd of 42,365 were thrilled and proud to cheer and watch their countrymen. There were roars anytime Showtime-Shohei made any type of appearance.
Each time one of the Japanese nationals was announced, the crowd cheered in delight for their countrymen making them proud in two of baseball’s biggest markets.
MLB highlights rich history in Japan
This isn’t anything new. Baseball has been big in Japan for decades. Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Jackie Robinson all play exhibition games in Japan.
The 1992 film Mr. Baseball introduced mainstream America to the land where baseball fandom resembles what one sees at international soccer matches rather than the more relaxing nature of our American game.
The film is entertaining. It has some cringeworthy moments that some may not deem appropriate for today’s eyes. Yet, it introduced many to “The” baseball nation and its iconic Tokyo Dome, a 1980’s dome made correctly because it was made for baseball.
Truth is baseball has and will be here for a long time. The ultimate winner on the scorecard was the crowd favorite. The defending World Series champion Dodgers beat the Cubs 4-1.
They weren’t the only winners, though. Tonight was a victory for Major League Baseball and its loyal Japanese fanbase. Japan loves MLB. That has been clear since before the Cubs and Mets opened the 2000 season here.
Tonight, baseball won. MLB won in a nation whose fever for the game is palpable. Japanese fans were treated to an MLB Opening Day that celebrated them and their countrymen.
On Wednesday, the Dodgers’ rookie Japanese pitcher Roki Sasaki gets his day in the Land of the Rising Sun. That game should be a win for Japan too.
Sinhue Mendoza
Contributor
Sports business columnist Sinhue Mendoza is a publicist based in Chicago with over 16 years of experience in media relations, social media, marketing and broadcasting. Mendoza, a proud son of Mexican immigrants, has worked professionally with some of the biggest brands in American sports, including the Chicago Cubs, U.S. Soccer, Notre Dame Football, and Major League Baseball.
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